The Second Annual International conference
Frontiers of Political Economics
organized by the Centre for Advanced Studies,
a joint project of Higher School of Economics andNewEconomicSchool
May 30-31, 2008
Higher School of Economics, 20, Myasnitskaya str., Moscow
Conference program
Organizing Committee:
Martin Gilman (CAS, Higher School of Economics)
Sergei Guriev (New Economic School)
Andrei Yakovlev (Higher School of Economics)
Program Committee:
Konstantin Sonin (New Economic School)
Fuad Aleskerov (Higher School of Economics)
Scott Gehlbach (University of Wisconsin-Madison)
Local administration:
Olga Lavrentieva, New Economic School
Marina Medvedeva, Higher School of Economics
8:30-9:00 / Registration and Coffee
9:00-9:20 / OpeningRemarks
Martin Gilman (Director, Center for Advanced Studies, Higher School of Economics)
Sergei Guriev (Rector, New Economic School)
AndreiYakovlev(Vice-rector,Higher School of Economics)
9:20-10:40 / Session 1 Chair: Lev Yakobson (Higher School of Economics)
Thomas Remington (EmoryUniversity)
Democracy, Governance, and Inequality: Evidence from the Russian Regions
Discussant: Lev Freinkman (World Bank)
Andrei Yakovlev(Vice-rector,Higher School of Economics)
State-Business Relations and Improvement of Corporate Governance in Russia
Discussant: Daniel Treisman (University of California, Los Angeles)
10:40-11:00 / Coffee Break
11:00-12:20 / Session 2 Chair: Scott Gehlbach (University of Wisconsin-Madison)
Vladimir Gimpelson (Higher School of Economics)
Federal Legislation, Local Enforcement, and Regional Economic Performance in Russia
Discussant: Henry Hale (GeorgeWashingtonUniversity)
Andrew Owen (PrincetonUniversity) and Joshua Tucker (New YorkUniversity)
Conventional vs. Transitional Economic Voting: Evidence from Poland, 1997-2005
Discussant: Alexei Sitnikov (New Economic School)
12:20-12:40 / Coffee Break
12:40-14:00 / Keynote address Chair: Fuad Aleskerov (Higher School of Economics)
Kenneth Shepsle (HarvardUniversity)
Choosing Institutions: Legislatures with Ordinal Seniority
14:00-15:20 / Lunch
15:20-16:40 / Session 3 Chair: Robert Kaufman (RutgersUniversity)
Shanker Satyanath (New YorkUniversity)
Superpower Interventions and their Consequences for Democracy: An Empirical Inquiry
Discussant: Konstantin Sonin (New Economic School)
Victor Polterovich (CEMI RAS and NES), Vladimir Popov (NES and CarletonUniversity), Alexander Tonis (NES and CEMI RAS)
Instability of Democracy as Resource Curse
Discussant: Aleh Tsyvinski (HarvardUniversity)
16:40-17:00 / Coffee Break
17:00-18:20 / Session 4Chair: Martin Gilman (Director, Center for Advanced Studies, Higher School of Economics)
Fuad Aleskerov (Higher School of Economics)
Power Distribution in Russian Parliament (1993-2005)
Discussant: Georgy Egorov (HarvardUniversity)
Philip Keeferand Stuti Khemani(World Bank)
When Do LegislatorsPass on “Pork”? The Role of Political Parties in Determining Legislator Effort
Discussant: Alexey Zakharov(CEMIRAS)
18:20-18:40 / Coffee Break
18:40-20:00 / Keynote address Chair: Vladimir Mau (Academy of National Economy)
James Robinson (HarvardUniversity)
Equilibrium Checks and Balances
20:00 / Reception
Saturday, May 31
8:30-9:00 / Coffee
9:00-10:20 / Session 5 Chair: Mikhail Dmitriev (Center of Strategic Research)
Robert Kaufman (RutgersUniversity)
The Political Effects of Inequality in Latin America: Some Inconvenient Facts
Discussant: Rostislav Kapelyushnikov (Higher School of Economics)
Evgeny Yakovlev (University of California, Berkeley) and Ekaterina Zhuravskaya (New Economic School)
Deregulation of Business
Discussant: Philip Keefer (World Bank)
10:20-10:40 / Coffee Break
10:40-12:00 / Session 6 Chair: Eugenia Albats (Higher School of Economics)
Daron Acemoglu (MIT), Georgy Egorov (HarvardUniversity) and Konstantin Sonin (New Economic School)
A Theory of Bad Governments
Discussant: Shanker Satyanath (New YorkUniversity)
Daniel Treisman (University of California, Los Angeles)
The Popularity of Russian Presidents
Discussant: Alexei Zudin (Higher School of Economics)
12:00-12:20 / Coffee Break
12:20-13:40 / Session 7 Chair: Andrei Yakovlev (Vice-rector,Higher School of Economics)
Art Durnev (McGillUniversity) and Sergei Guriev (New Economic School)
The Resource Curse: A Corporate Transparency Channel
Discussant: Vladimir Popov (NES and CarletonUniversity)
Henry Hale (GeorgeWashingtonUniversity)
Economic Performance and the Rise of a Dominant Party in Russia's Hybrid Regime Context
Discussant: Carsten Sprenger(ICEF, Higher School of Economics)
13:40-15:00 / Lunch
15:00-16:20 / Session 8 Chair: Aleh Tsyvinski (HarvardUniversity)
Scott Gehlbach (University of Wisconsin-Madison) and Konstantin Sonin (New Economic School)
Government Control of the Media
Discussant: Andrei Bremzen (New Economic School)
Leonid Polishchuk (University of Maryland)
Misuse of Institutions: A Political Economy Perspective
Discussant: Joshua Tucker (New YorkUniversity)
16:20-16:40 / Coffee Break
16:40-18:00 / Keynote address Chair: Evgeny Yasin (Higher School of Economics)
James Snyder(Massachusetts Institute of Technology)
Congressional Rents